[BillyCooper]

After 3 weeks of grinding through the articles and posts, I still find myself not pulling the trigger on this allegedly great lens. Even though my index has a cramp, and I'm getting ready to pull the trigger due to the spasms I'm getting, in a good way, here goes one final good faith, last chance plea to give anyone the chance to tell me "why not". (Thanks in Advance)

My Requirements: A) I design homes for a living, so yes, Architecture for my clients, my website, my soul...
B) I commune with nature as a first line of defense against the rising tide of everything, so yes, Landscape, near and far,
steelhead rivers that are tribs of the mighty columbia...and close focus flowers and hero shots of dime bright steelheads!
(abstracted) rose buds of which some will end up printed large, and esp., sources for watercolors yet to come.
C) ASTRO (what else is there to say, other than there are so many comps other than just the milky way behind that dark steeple,
band i will pursue those too.)

My big issue; I read today, moments before i was ready to purchase, that this lens is actually a purist architectural lens, first. (all i could see in my mind then was lines, perspective, lines..... This from an "expert" (why do peeps love spoiling a party?)

What I want: A great lens that will give great results, in a broad spectrum within those three range of uses (ALA), within it's realistic range of strengths (knowing its weaknesses and working within those as creative constraints.)

My stuff today: K1 ii, d fa 100 macro wr, 28-105 wr. (i live in the mojave were sand is airbourn 300 days a years, so its wr, or its a pencil) 80" benro mach 3 4 series with an acratech gp-2. A budget to fill that gap at the wide angle end of my wants. the big t.p. comes later. So im all ready, i just need to know that the 15-30 is my weapon of trifecta flexibility, even though the astro kids are yelling samriko, the purists are whispering "primes," the ls boys are recommending laowo/irix, and i'm holding my head in my hands wondering, am i about to do the right thing, or is the irix bs15 the true all rounder?...

And one last big concern...does or is the 15-30 able to take shots at the short end that ooze character like many of the third party lens (and that question weighs much, as i was an artist before i came back to the capturing of spectral lightwaves.)
Well, thats my rubics cube. I hope someone can help convince me to take that plunge (or not/why), and i promise to buy you a pint of your favorite, or perhaps even one dry, stirred, never shaken...

(and remember, contrarians are welcome here)

Thanks to all, along with my best,
Bill

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Last edited by BillyCooper; 07-21-2018 at 10:50 PM.

[kiwi_jono]

Full disclaimer - I don't currently own the DFA15-30...

For your use case it sounds like a good fit to me.

The reasons I have not pull the trigger is:
1. Price
2. Size / weight

But that is for my requirements (I like to cart a bunch of lenses around in my bag) and probably quite different to you.

[BillyCooper]

Full disclaimer - I don't currently own the DFA15-30...

For your use case it sounds like a good fit to me.

The reasons I have not pull the trigger is:
1. Price
2. Size / weight

But that is for my requirements (I like to cart a bunch of lenses around in my bag) and probably quite different to you.

Thanks Kiwi_Jono, Yes, I figured I'd fill in the numbers first with the least amount of glass (3-4 lens to cover the wide spec), first, learn what I'm doing, and then travel down the road to lens nirvana that I know awaits me once I'm ready to take on the amigo/primes and vintage glass. Until then though, I'm keeping it manual mode, and doing the best I can within my own set of weaknesses (which will soon be strengths, or however the plan goes).

I'm not afraid of the weight, yet, simply because I don't know any better.

Thanks mate,

Cheers

[DeadJohn]

The 15-30 does well for all 3 things you want: architecture, landscape, and astro. It offers you good image quality, zoom versatility, reasonably fast f2.8, and weather resistance.

Every lens has strengths and weaknesses. The 15-30 is bulky and has no filter threads. That's not a reason not to buy it, though, unless weight and filter threads are essential for your usage. There are filter systems available but they do add further bulk.

No one lens does everything perfectly. That's why we can change them As your photography progresses you may or may not add a tilt-shift for architecture, a smaller prime for long landscape hikes, and a Samyang 24mm f1.4 as an even faster astro option. None of those choices would invalidate your 15-30.

Go click the "buy" button now (I assume the Mojave desert has no local Pentax dealers).

[Paul the Sunman]

My gallery of selected DFA 15-30 photos (all on K1). It may help you decide either way.

[Sandy Hancock]

Buy it. It is perfect for your needs. Don't let my paltry efforts dissuade you.

Architecture:









Landscape:







Architecture in a landscape





Astro (not my thing, so I'm sure this is a poor example)

[Barry Pearson]

After 3 weeks of grinding through the articles and posts, I still find myself not pulling the trigger on this allegedly great lens. Even though my index has a cramp, and I'm getting ready to pull the trigger due to the spasms I'm getting, in a good way, here goes one final good faith, last chance plea to give anyone the chance to tell me "why not". (Thanks in Advance)

My Requirements: A) I design homes for a living, so yes, Architecture for my clients, my website, my soul...
B) I commune with nature as a first line of defense against the rising tide of everything, so yes, Landscape, near and far,
steelhead rivers that are tribs of the mighty columbia...and close focus flowers and hero shots of dime bright steelheads!
(abstracted) rose buds of which some will end up printed large, and esp., sources for watercolors yet to come.
C) ASTRO (what else is there to say, other than there are so many comps other than just the milky way behind that dark steeple,
band i will pursue those too.)

My big issue; I read today, moments before i was ready to purchase, that this lens is actually a purist architectural lens, first. (all i could see in my mind then was lines, perspective, lines..... This from an "expert" (why do peeps love spoiling a party?)

What I want: A great lens that will give great results, in a broad spectrum within those three range of uses (ALA), within it's realistic range of strengths (knowing its weaknesses and working within those as creative constraints.)

My stuff today: K1 ii, d fa 100 macro wr, 28-105 wr. (i live in the mojave were sand is airbourn 300 days a years, so its wr, or its a pencil) 80" benro mach 3 4 series with an acratech gp-2. A budget to fill that gap at the wide angle end of my wants. the big t.p. comes later. So im all ready, i just need to know that the 15-30 is my weapon of trifecta flexibility, even though the astro kids are yelling samriko, the purists are whispering "primes," the ls boys are recommending laowo/irix, and i'm holding my head in my hands wondering, am i about to do the right thing, or is the irix bs15 the true all rounder?...

And one last big concern...does or is the 15-30 able to take shots at the short end that ooze character like many of the third party lens (and that question weighs much, as i was an artist before i came back to the capturing of spectral lightwaves.)
Well, thats my rubics cube. I hope someone can help convince me to take that plunge (or not/why), and i promise to buy you a pint of your favorite, or perhaps even one dry, stirred, never shaken...

(and remember, contrarians are welcome here)

Thanks to all, along with my best,
Bill

I use the D FA 15-30mm f/2.8 for the sort of things you mention. (On a K-1ii). And it works well, at a considerable weight and price. But ....

I often find I need something a bit wider. So when I have the 15-30mm with me, I'll probably also have the Venus Optics Laowa 12mm f/2.8 "Zero D" for the (say) 10% of cases where I need something wider. Interiors, exteriors (gardens, etc), landscapes.

[pschlute]

It is big and heavy. it is not a walk about lens, but for your requirements it fits the bill perfectly. You can use the Lee 150 filter system with this lens using an adapter.

[Wasp]

The 15-30 is perfect for the job at hand. The focal length lines up perfectly with the 28-105 you have. Keeping things in the Pentax family means that handling, color rendition etc. will be (uhm) familiar.

Primes are all good and well but the adaptability of a zoom is a boon. The 15-30 range is never going to be covered by just one prime, anyway. At least two will be needed, perhaps more. In the extreme wide angle range, each prime has a unique character.

For landscapes, one can move around to get the framing and composition just right. But for interior shots, the prime you have might not always be the right one.

As a bonus, using the lens in your day job means that the cost is justifiable.

Just do it, you know you want to.

[Rondec]

I think the DFA 15-30 will work well for your needs. Biggest negatives are large size, difficulty with filters (can't use screw in ones), and some copies have decentering (this is a common issue with ultra wide angles).

I have one and am pretty happy with it.

[interested_observer]

The 15-30 ticked off all the boxes for me, mainly astro and landscapes. It's essentially a bag full of primes. It should meet all of your requirements. The only downside is its weight and size, especially when mounted on the K1. The first time I picked up the combination was interesting, but after that it's just fine. I use it with my acratech gp without any trouble. I also use the Nodal Ninja 3.

Here is a 50 second exposure using astrotracing, 3 images stitched at 15mm. Yes, at full resolution you can just start to tell that there is just a hint of smearing from the tracking.

[Kerrowdown]

I design homes for a living, so yes, Architecture for my clients, my website, my soul...

If it's for your business, price no longer becomes a concern, or shouldn't be, as the right lens will more than pay for itself.

Architecture... IMHO normally requires a good shift or tilt shift lens, which does all you say "I could see in my mind then was lines, perspective, lines....." and it keeps 'em straight and where they should be.

Get something else lens wise for your pleasure and landscape work, then you've got the best of both.

[torashi]

I own the IRIX 15/2.4 and for your case I would recommend the 15-30/2.8. Why?
Because if dust is a big concern for you living near the desert, then changing lenses is not the ideal. So that's where the WR zoom has the advantage.
I don't know about your size and weight requirements though. If it's big money to you, I would recommend the longest extended warranty you can get. Read all the small print and see if it covers dust damage.
I would also add the IRIX 11/4 for WR and architecture to make spaces look bigger or laowa 12/2.8 for the latter and low distortion.
And yes, the 15/2.4 can meet all of your requirements. Just instead of zooming, you're cropping from 36MP down, and has the advantage of half a step wider aperture, it can even take 100mm square filters. The zoom needs those huge >150mm filters.
On a side note, I bet if someone could and would dare to remove the aperture to zoom linking on the 15-30, it would become f/2 at the wide end, and if useable at that aperture for astro would make it a mod worthy of consideration.

[interested_observer]

.....I design homes for a living, so yes, Architecture for my clients, my website, my soul...

....Architecture... IMHO normally requires a good shift or tilt shift lens, which does all you say "I could see in my mind then was lines, perspective, lines....." and it keeps 'em straight and where they should be.

With a Pentax body, you already have some level of a shift lens in your hands already. Check out the "Composition Adjustment" feature on essentially all the bodies within the last 8 years.

The "Composition Adjustment" feature enables you to manually shift the sensor off its nominal center position by up to 24 units in the horizontal and/or vertical axis - including a combination of the two (no tilt). I have an old K 28/f3.5 shift lens that allows for up to 11 mm of movement. I have not compared the two capabilities on the K1, but on my K5, it looked like I could get up to about 8mm of movement. I have on idea as to what Pentax considers a unit in terms of overall adjustment.

I think that it really comes down to the type of architecture you practice. In terms of custom homes, the "Composition Adjustment" feature may be sufficient. The advantage is that it can be applied to any lens - essentially making any lens a shift lens to some degree. Now a shift lens is not a tilt/shift lens by any stretch of the imagination. But, these lenses are pretty limited in the focal lengths that they are available in. So, to some degree it's a compromise. Canon has the largest selection of tilt/shift or PC (perspective correction) lenses - coming in at 3 lenses, with the widest at 17mm.

• Composition Adjustment/Sensor Shift...are you using it? - Page 3 - PentaxForums.com

[torashi]

Canon has a lot more than three.
Current L series TS-E lenses: 17, 24 II, 50, 90 and 135 mm.
And there are three older, the latter two non L versions: 24, 45 and 90 mm.